As time went by, the GS badge disappeared from Buicks and the large, bloated cars firmly took over.

After years of lackluster products, GM made an investment in the brand to up the quality and grow it here and abroad. Since Buick is one of the top selling brands in China, it was a natural choice for GM to improve the company.

Travis Okulski / Business Insider

Buick borrowed a small sedan from German sister company Opel to create the new Regal. The car it is based on, the Insignia, has been lauded around the world. Likewise, the new Regal has been a critical hit for Buick, even if it isn't a massive commercial success quite yet.

Thankfully, the GS badge also returned on the Regal. Regal is actually one Buick name that has always been closely associated with performance. In the 1980s, the Regal Grand National and GNX were Buick's mainstream hot rods. They still have a cult following today.

Buick recently let me spend a weekend with a Regal GS to check out its performance chops. I took a small road trip and hit the twisties to see if this car could live up to GS badge.